Safety appliance for mine cars



Nov. 2,1926. 1,605,003

E. W. scHUl-:ssLx-:R

` SAFETY AFPLIANCE FOR MINE CARS Filed August 3l, 1925 im. CHUUDSLER @Het ne Patented Nov. 2, 1925.

narrar errer. s

EDWARD W. SCHUESSLER, OF BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA.

` SAEETY APPLIANCE'FOR MINE CARS.`

Applcatonled August 31; .1925. SeralrNo. 53,681.

My invention; relatesto a safety stop for mine cars andthevlike which 1s adapted to go automatically intooperation, when a` trip of` cars or any car in ai tripbreaks loose on a grade, and preventy a run away rdownQthe track, which ,is the cause ot so many serious mine accidents.

My present invention contemplates the provision, preferably on each car of a trip, of a hinged stop preferably adapted' to'have the couplings or haulage` cable connected thereto so that theupuly thereofwill act to hold: its free end. up, but when the pull is relaxed the free end;` of the stop will drop and engage the track so as to hold the car or trip. p

My invention further contemplates the provision of an automatic latch adapted to be controlled by tripsin the track, which act to shift it into position to latch the stop element in raised position, while the car is beingV moved; at the bottonr or top of the slope, and to shift it reversely to release the stop for automatic operation, when the car again moves onto the incline.

My invention further comprises the novel details of construction and arrangement-s of parts, which in their preferred construction only are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a` side elevation partly broken away of a mine car equipped with my ing vention.

Fig. 2 is an end view of Fig. 1.

Fig.` 3 is aY plan view showing'y the track i and latch mechanism with the stop shown in dotted line.

Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.`

In the embodiment of my invention illu strated in thedrawings, Ishow my invention applied to an automatic safety stop to mine cars, though it may obviously be applied to other types of cars. The car as illustrated comprises a body 1 having a bottom 2 supported by'cross axles 3 carrying wheels i which travel on the mine track rails 5 that are supported on cross ties 6. A bumper casting attached to the bottom forms a draw bar 7 having spaced perforated lugs or ears between which I pivotally mount, on the pin 8, a stop 9 which at its upper end has an extension 10 perforated and adapted to receive the coupling 11, which is typical of any connection between cars or of any haulL1 age connection suchas a cable, chain or rope` The endextensionl() hasaiat face adapted? to abut against a` stop 12 integral withthe draw bar. Thelower end of the stop is pointedzand shapedso that when the pull on itsupper endv isreleased or. relaxed it will drop on the track and engage the road bed or cross ties so asto prevent the loose car or trip running back down the incline.

lhile the arrangement thus described is entirely practical and automatic in its action, it will, be at once apparent that the stop4 is liable togive trouble after the mine car has passed ofi'Y the incline and is being handled throughout the levels at the bottom of the mine or on the tipple. Under such condi.- y

tions it is desirable thatthe stop shall be prevented from dragging onthe trackand interfering with the free movement of the car, and it is of course preferable that the mechanism toprevent this should be; auto-` matic inits action. To this end I have conceived the idea of providing a latch 13 formed of. asquare metal stop which is disposed transversely ofthe car opposite the inner end of the stop and adapted to slide in a guide frame-14 attached, to the bottom of the car and provided with a pair of spaced aligning guides 15 andi lvwhich lit the latch pin close enough to prevent it rockingvtherein while leaving it free to move towards and from the stop 9. ylf'he outer end of the latch is bent down to provide a trip arm 17 andv between the stop guides 15 and 16 the underside of the latch isprovided with a shoulder 18. I mount a trip plate 19 at both ends of the inclined track, this plate being spiked or otherwise secured to the cross ties or track bed preferably between the. rails, and it comprises two relatively offset and reversely inclined, guides 20 and 21V conneotedby a raised diagonal connecting guide 522; This trip is set sothat it will engage the latch arm 17 and will first raise the latch by forcing the arm to ride up either incline and then will shift the latch according to the direction of the diagonal guide section 22. The trip is set with the diagonal guide disposed in the direction in which it is desired to shift the latch and since the latch should release the stop 9 while the car is traveling on an incline, it follows that the track trip should be set so as to throw the latch out, or into released position, as the car moves onto the incline, and to throw it in, or into Lil) stop locking position, as the car moves oit the incline at either top or bottom of the slope.

In operation, assuming that the latch is in'its inner or stop holding position, it will be apparent that the Vstop 9 will be held away from the track and the car lett entirely free 'for movement in any'directionjust as it' it did not have an automatic safety stop, and in this position the shoulder-18 on the latch being engaged between the guides 'l5 and l' will positively hold the latch against accidental disengagement. Assuming that the car is approaching an ineline, the track trip will be set so as to receive the latch arm 17 on its inner inclined guide 20 which will act first to litt the latch until its shoulder i8 clears the bottom of the guides l5 and 16, then the outwardly disposed intermediate guide 22 will shift the latch outwardly to open position releasing the stop 9, and finally the latch arm as it rides down the outer incline 2l. will be lowered until its shoulder 1S is again in position to engage the outer guide l5 only and to be held thereby so that it cannot accidentally be thrown in. The stop 9 is now tree to drop to the track whenever the pull on the Coupling or haulage connection relaXes and 4before the car runs oit the other end ot the incline another track trip will raise the latch, shift it in and drop it back into full line'locked position, which will latch the stop in-raised or inoperative position. The stops l2 will take the thrust and impact off the stops when they go into action and will save wear on the car proper.

Though I have described with great particularity the details ot the embodiment of the invention herein shown, it is not to be construed that I am limited thereto, as changes in arangement and substitution oi equivalents may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the invention' as defined in the appended claims. Having thus described my invention7 what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

jl. A safety mine car stop, comprising a draw bar having pivoted'thereto a coupling element adapted at its outer end 'to connectl and a shoulder on theV draw bar which the f stop is adapted to engage as it goes into service.

2. In a safety* mine car stop, the combination of a pivoted gravitating stop arm adapted to engage the track, ot latch means to'hold the stop in inoperative position, and track trip means to throw the latch.

In a safety mine car stop, the Combination ot a pivoted gravitating stop arm adapted to engage the track, latch means to hold the stop in an inoperative position, track trip means to throw the latch autoinatically, and means on the latch to lock it in either operative or inoperative position against accidental displacement.

41:. In a sa'tety car stop, a pivoted gravitating latch adapted to engage the track, means responsive to the haulage pull on the car to hold the stop in inoperative position, a latch transversely movable and also adapted to hold the stop in inopertive position, and

track means to move the latch into and out of stop-engaging position.

in a safety car stop, a stop, means rresponsive to .the haulage pull on the car to hold it in inoperative position comprising a shoulder, latch means with which the shoulder co-acts to prevent accidental movement ot the latch, and track trips adapted to move the latchto disengage the shoulder from the guides and then to shift the latch into or out of operating position.

' 6. In a safety car stop, a draw bar rigidly connected to the bottom of the car, av bumper shoulder on the end ot the car above said draw bar, a gravitating stop pivotally connected to said draw bar and provided with an end coupling element and between said coupling element and pivot point having an upturned shoulder adapted to co-act with said bumper element when the latch drops -to operating position, the inner end of the stop being pointed and adapted to overbalance the outer end ot the stop and to drop by gravity into track engaging position when the pull on its coupling end is relaxed.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

EWARD IV. SGHUESSLEB; 

